Moving from United States to Mexico
Moving from United States to Mexico: United States passport holders get visa-free (180 days) for short stays and need a residence permit to settle. Mexico is about 53% cheaper than United States, around $1,400/month for one person. Citizenship takes about 5 years of residence.
Last updated August 2026 · How we calculate this
Visa & entry
Visa-free (180 days) for short visits. To settle you'll need a residence route:
- Temporary Residency (economic solvency) — Prove savings (~$50k) or monthly income (~$4,300) — no job needed.
Documents & apostille
Single apostille each end. Both countries are in the Hague Apostille Convention — one apostille from United States makes your documents valid in Mexico.
Where in United States: Secretary of State of the issuing state (state-level documents) plus the US Department of State, Office of Authentications, for federal documents — official source
↳ Mexico: No single national office — apostilles issued per-state by each state government; SEGOB/DICOPPU handles only federal documents.
Check each document →Cost, tax & salary
Mexico is 53% cheaper than United States — around $1,400/mo vs $3,000/mo for one person.
Citizenship & residency
5 yrs residence (temp or perm); only 2 yrs for Latin American/Iberian nationals or via Mexican spouse/child. Spanish + history/culture exam.
Your path to a passport →Arrival checklist
- Register your address: None federal (but must notify INM of address changes; RFC needs comprobante de domicilio)
- Get a tax number: RFC (Registro Federal de Contribuyentes) from SAT; CURP is the population ID auto-issued with residency
- Residence permit: Tarjeta de Residente Temporal (Temporary Resident Card); Permanente for permanent
- Healthcare: IMSS if employed, or voluntary IMSS; public IMSS-Bienestar for the uninsured
Residence visa is granted at a consulate abroad, then you complete the canje at INM within 30 days of entry → Tarjeta de Residente with CURP printed on it. RFC (SAT) needs CURP + residency + proof of address; banks need the card + CURP/RFC.
Your move, step by step →Driving
No reciprocity agreements with any country; every foreign resident applies for a state licence from scratch (foreign licence used only as supporting doc). Requirements vary by state.
No true "exchange"/canje and no reciprocity — residents complete a first-time state application (docs: passport, INM residente card, CURP, proof of address, blood type, fee MXN ~600-2,100). Rules, exams and fees differ by state; a valid foreign licence usually waives the practical test but not the written/medical.
Exchange your licence →Pets
- Microchip: Not required (recommended for ID); no ISO mandate
- Rabies: Required; valid rabies vaccination shown on cert; pets under 3 months exempt
- Quarantine: None if compliant
Mexico — quick facts
Start your move from United States to Mexico
Save this corridor as your plan — tasks, documents and deadlines, on every device.
Full country guide →